Yoga offers many health benefits to individuals, young and old. Some yoga moves are targeted at helping certain parts of the body and others are geared towards treating a particular health condition. Yoga can increase movement and functionality of the bones, muscles and joints. Yoga can also improve mental health; promote a healthy immune system and cardiovascular function, as well. Yoga is also known to offer other benefits for certain health conditions including treating frequent headaches (tension headaches and migraine), promoting healthy weight loss, and addressing insomnia issues, easing the symptoms of menopause and fighting fatigue. Read more to learn the best yoga moves to improve your health.

Arm Stretch Pose

The Arm Stretch Pose is known to improve stretch and movement for the entire body. This yoga move raises endurance, helps with breathing control, and helps individuals control body movements. This yoga move also offers benefits to the joints of the ankles, knees and shoulders and is known to relieve backaches and help with healthy blood circulation, as well.

To begin, you must sit on bent knees with the feet being wider than the hips and all of your toes pressing down on the floor. Your hands should be positioned behind you for balance and you need to sit on your buttocks, avoiding sitting on the calf muscles. Ensure that the inner calves are touching the outer part of the thighs and the ankles are outside the buttocks, with arms resting at your sides. Now, you are in position to inhale while slowly raising your arms until they are level with your shoulders, with shoulders down. Next, exhale while turning palms to face the roof. Then, inhale while stretching your arms over your head and when they meet, lock your fingers together. Now, exhale slowly while turning your palms to face the roof as you lift up from the belly into the chest and shoulders with a powerful push. Then, slowly lower your arms while exhaling and interlocking your arms behind your back, being careful not to roll the shoulders forward. Finally, inhale as you slowly bring your arms back to your sides. Repeat two or three times.

Spinal Roll

The Spinal Roll (aka – Spinal Rocking or the Rocking Exercise) is great for relieving stiffness and drowsiness, especially after a good night’s sleep. This pose also massages the vertebrae and improves flexibility of the spine, as well. In addition, this pose is known to cure insomnia and delaying the aging process.

To begin, sit down on a yoga pad with your knees pulled towards your chest and your head bent down. When you are in position, join your hands together underneath your knees, ensuring that your spine is rounded and rock back and forth in a manner similar to a rocking chair. This yoga exercise can be combined with deep breathing, as well. It’s important to remember to keep your head bent slightly and to keep your spine round, not flat to ensure ease of movement. Repeat this exercise three to five times and then lie flat until breathing returns to normal.

Cobra Pose

The Cobra Pose works well for individuals who experience lower back aches and pain. This yoga exercise helps with stiffness in the lower back and is known to strengthen the arms, chest and shoulders. In addition, this pose helps to prevent menstrual irregularities and to relieve stress.

To begin, lie flat on your stomach, with your head resting on your lower arms, feet together and your toes pointing behind you. Next, raise your head so that you are looking upwards and place your hands on the floor near your body, next to your rib cage. Now, inhale slowly as you push off your hands and lift your chest off the ground with your head tilted back. Allow your chest to move forward and upward as you exhale and your stomach to move father backwards, as if your arms were being pulled, which shifts the weight to the stomach, allowing the lower back to do the work. It is important to perform this exercise in a relaxed manner, rather than forcing the body to do the exercise and the buttocks should remain relaxed throughout the exercise, as well.

The yoga moves listed here, are for beginners and are known to provide multiple health benefits.